The revolution is about to be televised… on Hulu.
The Handmaid’s Tale has (rivetingly) been scaring the sh*t out of audiences since 2017 with frozen bank accounts, sewn-up mouths, a drowned Sydney Sweeney character, and other horrors that need not be repeated here because (if you’re reading this) you’ve seen them. Now, things are starting get even realer, but perhaps this final season will bring catharsis.
This bleak Elizabeth Moss-starring series has long since gone off-book, and the sixth season is poised to take viewers increasingly too-close-to-comfort with current events. Yet the series has retained a devoted audience while remaining one of the best Hulu originals in existence. The Handmaid’s Tale is so successful, in fact, that a sequel series, The Testaments, was recently greenlit to bring Margaret Atwood’s companion novel to your nearest streaming device. First, though, the final season of this current phase of Gilead must come to a close. Let’s look at what appears to be in store from the rebellion and what to expect from the sixth season.
Plot
The build to the finale arrives with a key change behind the camera. Series creator Bruce Miller formally stepped down from his showrunning post, but there is no drama there. Miller’s not out of this game at all; he’s simply developing The Testaments (which, if the series adheres to the book, will focus heavily on Aunt Lydia’s perspective along with two other daughters in Gilead). Meanwhile, Miller’s duties have been taken over by seasoned The Handmaid’s Tale executive producers and writers Eric Tuchman and Yahlin Chang, who will guide this rebellion home.
Hulu hasn’t shied away from promising a reckoning to come with this “The Revolution Is Here” poster.
Naturally, the streaming service has stayed close-clipped on specific plot developments, but a recent teaser trailer has similarly eschewed subtlety (with a voiceover from June) while promising to reappropriate the Handmaids’ trademark red clothing color into a symbol of rage.
Star Elisabeth Moss also heavily hinted that this season will bring a satisfying end for those who have undertaken this TV journey. “I think this whole season is absolutely for the fans,” Moss told Business Insider. “It’s definitely for our audience. It’s definitely for the people that have stuck with us for five seasons, and we’re kind of making this one for them.’”
Additionally, Moss has suggested that a great deal of emphasis this season will be on June’s relationship with Serena (Yvonne Strahovski), who no longer occupies the lofty position of Commander’s wife and has been knocked down several pegs, including when June informed her (in this pivotal scene) that “there is no one less worthy of redemption than you.” In the grand scheme of Gilead, Serena has had the tables turned on her, and as the series further progressed, the fifth season scene with Serena holding June at gunpoint did not go as anticipated. In many ways, culminating with the treatment of Serena when she became pregnant, these ladies found themselves in the same plight, however unlikely that might have seemed when the show began.
This recounting, of course, simplifies the events of the series, but from Moss’ comments to Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast (via Screenrant), it looks entirely possible that, whether June and Serena are a united force or not (and you never know with Serena), they could be the key to “revolution” in Gilead. If this happens, it sure sounds like a gift to those who have stuck with the grueling The Handmaid’s Tale story:
“You’re making it for the people who love it. And, so, because of that, you are aware of, of course, what they respond to and what they don’t respond to.
“And I agree with them responding to June and Serena so wholeheartedly, and truly believe that it is their show. Like, I know it’s June’s story and it’s The Handmaid’s Tale but I really believe that it’s June and Serena’s story. And we’re very much going down that road in the final season. I’m the first person, even as a director, to be like, ‘Forget June, let’s focus on Serena for this episode.’ I just think that. Yvonne said it so well when she said, “There’s no Serena without June, and there’s no June without Serena.” And that’s so true. And so to me, the parallel stories, I love that part of the show so much. So I totally agree with the fans on this one.”
What else? A myriad of characters demand resolution. That includes Canada and how the U.S. neighbor has been feeling about American refugees, which is another too-close-to-home relationship. And the “human” characters of this show are likely in for grim conclusions, such as followup on Nick and Luke’s associations with June as Gilead’s Most Wanted. And Bradley Whitford (who portrays Commander Lawrence) did tell Screenrant, “It’s a show I’m really proud of. I love that part, and it was really hard to say goodbye to everybody. But we solved the whole misogyny fascism thing. Our work was done.” Yup, that’s clear as mud.
And for something completely different: Samira Wiley (Moira) promised on Instagram, “It’s gonna be fire, y’all. I promise! We talkin Season 1 vibes.” Never mind that Samira realized in this photo that she was accidentally posing next to a coat that “legit looks like a Handmaid’s costume.” Please do not read into that accident, but admittedly, this series could do worse than giving Moira a much bigger role after seemingly being backburnered by the writers. (A missed opportunity for sure, but perhaps change is really coming.)
The formal Hulu synopsis also awaits:
In the final season of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” June’s unyielding spirit and determination pull her back into the fight to take down Gilead. Luke and Moira join the resistance. Serena tries to reform Gilead while Commander Lawrence and Aunt Lydia reckon with what they have wrought, and Nick faces challenging tests of character. This final chapter of June’s journey highlights the importance of hope, courage, solidarity, and resilience in the pursuit of justice and freedom.
Cast
Moss and Strahovski might be the marquee-name powerhouses in taking this beyond-the-book story home, but they won’t do it alone.
This season not only includes Moss and Strahovski but also Bradley Whitford (Commander Lawrence), Ann Dowd (Aunt Lydia), Samira Wiley (Moira), Madeline Brewer (Janine), O.T. Fagbenle (Luke), Max Minghella (Nick), Amanda Brugel (Rita), Sam Jaeger (Mark), Ever Carradine (Naomi), and Josh Charles.
Release Date
Praise be on April 8, 2025 for three episodes, followed by weekly drops until May 27.
Trailer
This teaser trailer previews the red-rage transformation to come with a full trailer still in the wind.
Content shared from uproxx.com.